


Financial Reasons

by AuthenticallyAlia



Category: Amazingphil - Fandom, Danisnotonfire - Fandom, Phan, dan and phil, vlogging, youtube - Fandom
Genre: Engaged, Fake Marriage, Fake Relationship, Fluff, M/M, Phan Fluff, married, proposal
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-22
Updated: 2016-02-22
Packaged: 2018-05-22 13:15:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,521
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6080751
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AuthenticallyAlia/pseuds/AuthenticallyAlia
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Dan is hanging out at his best friend Phil's flat in Manchester when Phil surprises him with a question.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Financial Reasons

Dan was at his friend Phil’s house playing Mortal Kombat II. The two had been friends since primary school, when their parents had introduced each other. Now, Phil lived in a flat in Northern Manchester and Dan in Southern. Dan had never been great at meeting people, so his one close friend happened to be the person who his parents had set him up with. He often joked that he had no friends, but in its own way it was true. His friendships lasted for a couple months to a year, then Dan would lose touch or the other person would show no interest in meeting up. In effect, Dan found himself at Phil’s flat on most lonely weekend nights, playing games until they got too tired or bored to continue. Then, they would sit on Phil’s couch, talking about life and the universe and politics and family. On a few occasions, they had gone out to a pub and had a little too much to drink, and Dan had awakened in...unfortunate places the next day. He didn’t like to think about it.

On this night, Dan and Phil were playing Mortal Kombat when Phil suddenly paused the game and looked at Dan. The two made eye contact and Phil looked quickly away.

“What’s up? Why’d you pause the game? Was it cause I was winning?” Dan teased. A smile played at Phil’s lips, but didn’t show in his eyes. Dan wondered what was wrong. “You okay?” Dan said, quieter.

Phil took a deep breath, then spoke quickly, “Canwegetmarried?”

Dan blinked. He was sure his best friend hadn’t said what he thought he heard. “Sorry, what?”

Phil made a point of avoiding eye contact with Dan. “Not like...romantically. I’m, er, struggling with money and a combined income would help both of us, I think. It could be a fake marriage, for the financial benefits. A friend-marriage. I mean, when have either of us ever thought of getting married anyway?”

Dan wanted to protest, to say that he would get married to a hot girl and live the high life, but he had to admit he’d never even thought of getting married to anyone. “But I’m not gay…”

“Neither am I! It would be platonic. As I said, for financial benefits only.”

Dan considered it. “Okay. I need the benefits. Let’s do it. Let’s…” he hesitated, trying out the sentence. “Phil, let’s get married.”

Dan hated how much he like saying that.

Phil hated how much he like hearing Dan say that.

They were both certain this marriage was totally platonic.

Two weeks later, Dan Howell and his (platonic) fiance were in the courthouse asking for a marriage license. They got called a “cute couple” so many times, and they played their act right through it. Calling each other pet names, acting “cute”. It became a competition. Whoever acted the most sickeningly romantic won. On the way to the office to get their license, a little old lady said she was proud of them for being “so open”. Phil glanced at Dan then proceeded to hold the other man’s hand and said, “Yes, my fiance is so wonderful! We’re so happy to be doing this, isn’t that right, cupcake?”

Dan blushed more than was necessary but played along. “Yes, muffin, we’ve been waiting so long!”

Then, the young woman who signed their marriage license said, “You’re a cute couple with your coordinated haircuts and outfits. I wish my boyfriend would do that with me. He doesn’t coordinate anything. You're obviously meant for each other.”

Dan then realised that he and Phil were wearing complimentary colours. Phil’s shirt was a black dress shirt with white constellations on it. Dan’s was a white dress shirt with black constellations. The two had thought to dress up for the occasion, ironically, of course. Dan refrained from rolling his eyes and instead replied to the clerk.

“Yes, well, it is such a wonderful occasion, isn’t it?” then, Dan said in an excited, high-pitched voice: “Philly, we’re getting married!”

Phil, never refusing a competition, leaned in and pecked Dan on the cheek. Then, fluidly, turned to the clerk unfazed. “Yes, we’re so very excited.”

Then, surprising Dan for the millionth time that day, Phil got down on one knee, smiling in a mixture of mischievousness and concealed excitement, took out a ring. Dan put a hand over his mouth and stepped back. “Phil…” he said warily.

“Will you take this already approved marriage license with me?”

“Y-yes...yes,” Phil smiled, stood up, and slid the ring onto Dan’s finger and hugged him.

“I even got your ring size,” Phil whispered into Dan’s ear.  
Dan followed Phil out of the courthouse, not noticing anything around him. He held their marriage license, with the names Dan and Phil Howell-Lester written in loopy handwriting. He stared at it. He stared at his new ring. it was simple yet beautiful; gold with celtic designs carved into it. It was official, they were married. Dan, walking absently behind Phil, lightly brushed the place on his cheek where Phil kissed him.

“Come on, slowpoke,” Phil teased, snapping Dan out of his reverie. Dan scolded himself for romanticising Phil’s kiss. It was a game. They were getting married for financial reasons. There was no romance between them, and Dan couldn’t let himself forget that. Phil probably didn’t even care about him that much.

The two continued their competition, Dan always trying to trump Phil’s more physical advances with lovey-dovey words, as he was scared of what would happen if he made advances like Phil’s. They were walking home, and Phil had begun holding Dan’s hand after a young man had clapped their backs and said “good job, dudes”. Dan was trying to focus on anything but Phil’s hand in his. So, he plotted his next move.

They went to a pub, where the compliments came endlessly. Feeling stressed about the platonic marriage they had just entered, the newlyweds ordered a drink. Then another. Then another. As Dan’s mental barriers were broken down by the alcohol, he became more forward. A woman in her mid-twenties called them cute, and Dan, half-drunk, cupped Phil’s face and kissed him on the mouth. Phil, to the surprise of the small sober part of Dan’s mind, kissed back. The men were sat at a bar, and Dan climbed onto Phil’s lap and began giggling quietly.

“Wha’s wrong?” Phil asked, smiling to his new husband.

“Nothing, jus’ you’re really cute when you’re drunk,” Dan giggled, planting kisses all over Phil’s face and neck. Phil almost relaxed, then tensed again. His voice turned soft, paternal.

“Dan, we shoul’ get home,” Phil said through kisses.

Dan smirked. “Okay!”

They made it home and as soon as they got through the door, Dan pinned Phil against the wall, kissing Phil wherever he found exposed skin. Phil wanted to melt. The two, furiously making out, migrated to the bedroom.

*****

The next morning, Dan Howell-Lester woke up with a horrible headache. He tried to reach for the water bottle he kept on his bedside table at his flat, but his hand found empty air. Through the piercing pain behind his eyes, he looked around.  
_Fuck. Not again._ was all he could manage to think through his hangover-addled mind. He was in Phil’s bedroom, and he didn’t have anything to prove that the events of the night before hadn’t happened. He pressed his face into the pillow and felt Phil stirring beside him. He peeked over and couldn’t stop himself from being attracted to the man next to him. His husband. Phil was his husband. That was something he needed to wrap his mind around.

“G’morning, Phil,” was all Dan could manage. He scolded himself. No I’m sorry I got drunk and slept with you last night and broke our strict no-romance marriage. Phil groaned.

“It happened again didn’t it?” Phil mumbled, pressing his palms to his forehead.

“Yeah,” Dan said quietly. “yeah, it did.”

After the two had recovered from their hangovers, they were sitting at Phil’s dining table eating leftover lasagna. Phil was eating his lasagna, avoiding eye contact with Dan.

Dan examined his ring. It was beautifully carved, gold-plated, and must have cost a fortune. Why would Phil go this far for a fake marriage? Then, the answer suddenly hit him. Dan looked up at Phil, then looked away quickly. He had struggled with his identity since grade school, and he had never been comfortable being totally open with anyone, even himself. Now, with Phil, he thought he could be. The truth was, he knew he was bi. He had never been comfortable with this fact, and he had been surrounded by negativity around that subject his whole life. He hadn’t let himself think it until now, but for the longest time, he had loved Phil. At first, maybe it was platonic. It didn’t take very long to change into something more, and Dan decided then to stop lying to himself. He would stop lying to Phil. They were married, after all.

“iloveyou,” he mumbled, quietly and quickly.

Phil dropped his fork.


End file.
